Pleasant Valley School Addition Is On Schedule Lack Of Class Space Forced Project

November 29, 1985|by DEBBIE MOYER, The Morning Call

The Pleasant Valley High School $7.2-million construction project set for completion in September will not only mean bigger, but also better facilities for the school.

In addition to a much-needed expansion of the building for additional instructional space, the project is helping to bring the students and faculty into the high technology age of the '80s.

The Monroe County school, in the scenic village of Brodheadsville on the southern edge of the Poconos, actually outgrew the building several years ago and has been using every square foot of possible space for instructional use, according to Principal Frederick Hackett.

The existing structure has a capacity for 640 students, and there are currently about 855 registered in the ninth through 12th grades at the school, he said. The renovations will give the school a functional capacity for 950 to 1,000 students, which could be reached in three to four years at current growth rates.

When the school opened in 1960, enrollment was only about 300 for grades seven through 12, but rapid growth occurred during the remainder of the '60s through the mid-70s, Hackett said. Growth reached a plateau earlier in this decade, and is now on another upswing, he said.

"Population projections show us continuing to grow into the next century," Hackett said. "We're one of the five fastest-growing districts in the state."

This growth parallels the growth of the entire Monroe County area, which has attracted a large number of people from metropolitan areas and is losing much of its rural flavor and becoming more suburban.

"From a district which was totally rural 26 years ago, we're approaching a more suburban environment," Hackett said. "We're growing toward becoming a 'bedroom community.' It's a nice place to raise a family and still retain the salary of the urban area. The tax structure alone is attractive. Even though it may appear high, it's nothing compared to New Jersey."

The high school is not the only facility undergoing changes - there will probably be a need for a construction project within the next five years to address the needs of the elementary schools, where modular classrooms are now springing up to increase classroom space.

The growth has brought an influx of students from cities and larger districts which generally offer more and a wider variety of course selections, and Pleasant Valley has been attempting to follow suit.

In his five years as principal, Hackett has seen numerous aspects of the curriculum expanded.

"Our overall growth has allowed us to offer classes with lower enrollments, such as in the upper level science and mathematics courses," Hackett said. "Adaptive physical education is also more feasible to offer.

"Computers have also had an impact," he said. "Computer literacy is now a requirement, and our business education department has expanded into areas of modern technology such as word processing."

The building project addresses those two areas. A computer lab with personal computers for each student has been completed, as well as a business education room with word processors that are fast replacing the more "traditional" electric typewriters in many businesses.

Areas which have been completed also include a totally renovated industrial arts area, two new art areas, a home economics room, the main gymnasium and the kitchen and cafeteria.

Still to be completed are the physical education facilities, athletic area, weight-training room, a center courtyard with five new connecting science laboratories, an instructional resource center which will include the library and audio-visual department, a remedial reading and learning-disable d classroom, and the language arts rooms.

Renovations are also being completed to bring the school up to the standard classroom size and to eliminate overcrowding in the narrow corridors by removing lockers and building them into the walls.

The "new" school will become more energy efficient by removing many windows and skylights in the current building, and less money is expected to be spent on heating the expanded facility than on the current one, Hackett said.

The spiraling enrollment has brought relatively few problems to the district and the students have taken the growth - and the current construction project - in stride, the principal said.

"Discipline is no worse, and attendance has remained about the same," he said. "We have a larger amount of college preparatory students, but the school is still comprehensive in nature."

The increase in enrollment has caused a necessary enlargement of the staff and created a job security for teachers not found in other parts of the state. Pleasant Valley is hiring in areas where many districts are laying off, according to Hackett.

"To me, as a principal being here five years, the growth has been a very exciting thing," he said. "We'll have a building that's 26 years old but essentially brand new. The potential is there to surpass our capacity if we continue to grow at the rate we have been. The state Department of Education says we're safe for 10 years, but I don't know."